Beverly Gray at the World's Fair Detailed Summary

I decided to write a detailed summary of Beverly Gray at the World's Fair since this book is not in the public domain and cannot be shared online.  This is the type of summary that I typically dislike which is the style that many people use when they review books.  I do not like this kind of summary because I would rather read the actual book than read a lengthy play-by-play of what is in the book.

In this case, most people cannot find a copy of Beverly Gray at the World's Fair to read, so a detailed summary should be helpful to those who don't own the book, since the book contains rather important events in the continuity of the Beverly Gray series.

Beverly Gray at the World's Fair should become public domain in 2031.  Unfortunately, that is still quite a few years away.

I have made certain to mention anything that is important to the chronology of the series.  There are quite a few conversations that I do not mention.  The conversations are interesting if reading the entire book, but they don't move much along in the plot.  Beverly Gray fans will understand that there is much inconsequential banter between Beverly and her friends, especially with Lenora, and I did not feel it necessary to try to summarize all of that.

I scanned a few key passages in the book and have shared them here.  The scans were kept to a bare minimum to avoid running afoul of the copyright law.

The following summary spoils the entire plot of Beverly Gray at the World's Fair.

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Lois leaves for France to spend a year studying art.  Connie and Kathleen arrive in New York just after Lois departs and are disappointed that they missed her.  Connie and Kathleen will be living with Beverly and Lenora in the girls' apartment.

Lenora and Connie decide to go to Chicago to see the Century of Progress at the Chicago World's Fair.  The girls will stay with Virginia, who lives in Chicago.  Beverly and Kathleen decide that they will stay in New York to work.

Kathleen spots Mr. Crandall's name in the newspaper.  Mr. Crandall first met Shirley at Vernon College and promised her an acting role on the stage.  After Shirley graduated, Mr. Crandall hired her.  Unfortunately, Mr. Crandall just recently died of a heart attack.  The girls have not heard from Shirley in some time and wonder whether she is okay.  Mr. Crandall's play will surely close, and Shirley will have to find another role.

Beverly chances to meet Roger Garrett one day, and he informs her that he and Shirley's parents have heard about Mr. Crandall's death.  No one has heard from Shirley, and it is doubtful that Shirley will return since Shirley and her parents had a terrible argument when she left home.  Beverly was unaware that Shirley had argued with her parents, and this raises her concern for her friend.

Connie and Lenora leave for Chicago by train.  Meanwhile, Charlie Blaine asks Beverly to cover the Century of Progress in Chicago.  When Beverly arrives home, she finds Larry Owens waiting for her.  Larry is about to fly to Chicago, so Beverly agrees to go with him.  Right after Beverly leaves, Jim Stanton, who has just returned from South America, arrives at the apartment looking for Beverly.  Kathleen gives Beverly's Chicago address to Jim.

Beverly arrives in Chicago before the girls do, but she can't remember Virginia's address.  Beverly registers at a hotel and decides to meet Connie and Lenora when their train arrives the next day.

Beverly goes to find a restaurant and sees Shirley looking in a shop window.  Beverly can tell that Shirley is not doing well.  She is pale and worried.  Shirley reveals that her play closed weeks ago.  She cannot find another acting job or any other kind of job for that matter.

Shirley tells Beverly about the horrible fight that she and her parents had when she decided to go into theater.  They told her that she shouldn't ever bother to come home again.  Beverly wants to help Shirley, but Shirley refuses.  She wants to succeed without help from anybody.  She will not go home to be bossed by her mother.  She must get work on her own.

Beverly resolves to help Shirley no matter what.  After Shirley leaves the restaurant, Beverly follows her at a distance.  She sees Shirley enter a dirty three-story building.  Beverly steps inside as Shirley disappears up the staircase.  A sinister looking woman appears and calls after Shirley, but Shirley ignores her.

The landlady tells Beverly that the rent must be paid by tomorrow or else Shirley must leave.  Beverly decides to pay the rent for Shirley and then goes back to her hotel.  The next day, Beverly returns to speak to Shirley, but Shirley has moved out, probably because she discovered that her rent had been paid.

Beverly meets Connie and Lenora at the train station, much to their shock, then the girls get settled at Virginia's house.  They immediately head out to the fairgrounds to begin their tour of the exhibits.

Lenora purchases a movie camera, the Cine-Kodak Eight.  Lenora uses the movie camera to make memories of the exhibits and to film her friends while they are unaware.  The girls later enjoy watching the movies.

The girls go to see a show at the lagoon theater.  The show is like a circus, and it also features diving and swimming.  Paul Graham, a young diver, is announced as the next performer.  When he dives, something goes wrong causing him to hit the water at a strange angle.  Paul does not surface and has to be rescued.

When Beverly learns that Virginia knows Paul and his sister, June, she has Virginia take her to June's dressing room.  Once there, the girls learn that Paul is dead and that he had been shot before he hit the water!  There was no water in Paul's lungs, so he definitely did not drown.

Beverly spots Inspector Dugan, who was visiting the Century of Progress but is now investigating the murder.  Beverly strikes up an agreement with Dugan and the Chicago police.  Beverly will get the story first so long as she keeps quiet for now about what she knows.

The police suspect Paul's brother, George, because of a shared inheritance.  Beverly suspects John Cummings, who is a friend of June and Paul's family.  Beverly keeps the murder a secret from Connie and Lenora, because they would tell everyone.  Unknown to Beverly, Lenora follows her and figures out some of what is going on.  Beverly relents and tells Lenora everything, making sure that she keeps it a secret.  Later, Connie is told about the affair.

The girls go back to the lagoon and talk to the boat pilots.  They learn that at the time of the murder, one boat had a passenger who had a violin case with him.

Both June and her brother, George, have accidents while working in the circus.  The accidents easily could have been fatal.  Later, Lenora reveals that she filmed John Cummings loosening the wires that support June's trapeze.  Beverly is now certain that Cummings is the culprit.

Beverly receives a short message in the mail.  The note reads, "Thanks so much, S."  The envelope also includes the exact amount of money that Beverly paid for Shirley's rent.

The girls briefly discuss a new actress, Dale Arden, who is very good.  They have not yet seen her perform.

Cummings is confronted about the loose wires, but he claims that he was trying to fix them.  The girls remain certain that he is guilty.

Lenora reveals that she saw a violin case in Cummings' room that morning.  Beverly thinks of the boat passenger who carried a violin case.  Lenora coaxes Beverly into searching Cummings' room for the violin case.  Against Beverly's judgment, she agrees to search the room.  The girls find and take the case.  As the girls leave, they see Cummings, and hope that they weren't spotted.  The only item found inside the violin case is a bullet, which Lenora then loses.

Beverly is later accosted by John Cummings, who makes it clear that he saw her with the violin case on the previous day.  Cummings warns Beverly not to do anything rash.  Even though Cummings did not admit to anything, Beverly is certain that he is the murderer.

The girls visit Lake Geneva for the day.  Another boat rams the girls' boat, throwing all of them in the water.  Beverly is knocked out and has to be rescued by the other girls.  Upon awakening, Beverly recalls seeing the pilot of the other boat, and she believes that he was Cummings.

The bullet has been found again, and the girls take it to the police, who try to interview Cummings.  The man has disappeared.  Later, Beverly sees him digging through June's trunk in her dressing room.  Beverly searches June's trunk and finds a pawn ticket.  She doesn't know whose pawn ticket it is, but Beverly decides to turn it in to see what was pawned.  The pawned item is a sawed-off shotgun.

The girls go to the police, where they learn that Cummings insisted that the police search June's dressing room.  It is believed that Cummings planted the pawn ticket in order to cast blame for the murder on June.  While the police close in on Cummings, Beverly phones the story to Charlie Blaine.

The girls once again discuss the new star, Dale Arden, and think about going to see her.  Dale Arden was originally the understudy to the star of a play.  The star took ill on opening night, and Dale Arden performed, apparently much better than the actual star.  Ever since that night, Dale has played the role.  The girls wish that Shirley could get a chance like that.  Later, the girls see Shirley in an expensive car.

The girls have 10 days left in Chicago, and the girls give Beverly a surprise party for her birthday.  Beverly is shocked to see Jim Stanton, since she thought he was still in South America.  Jim once again begins to ask Beverly to marry him, but Beverly cuts him off.  Roger Garrett then sits with Beverly, and tries to put his arm around her.  Beverly immediately suggests that they dance.  Later, Beverly wonders what is wrong with her.  Why does she not want romance?

Beverly and Jim sit on a bench at the fairgrounds with Judy, who is Virginia's young niece.  Shortly after Judy wanders off, Beverly and Jim learn that a lion has escaped from the circus.  Beverly finds the lion as it is about to attack Judy.  Beverly lunges in front to push Judy away and gets raked on the shoulder.  Fortunately, Beverly will be alright.

The girls view a television demonstration at the exhibit.

With regret, the girls return home to New York City.  They settle back into their daily routines, and Beverly vows to start her novel.  As the days pass, Beverly works tirelessly on the novel and then sends it off to a publisher.  Beverly is devastated when the novel is rejected.  Jim finally convinces her to continue sending it off to publishers.

Roger decides to give a theater party.  Dale Arden's play is coming to New York City, and Roger wants to take all of his friends to see her.  When Dale Arden steps onto the stage, Beverly is shocked to discover that she is Shirley.  In just a few weeks, Shirley has become more confident with the ability to hold the audience's attention constantly.

During the second act, the girls notice that something is wrong with Shirley.  Her voice falters, and then she collapses.  Beverly and her friends go backstage to see her.  Shirley is very ill from overwork, and she desperately needs to take a vacation.

The young people spirit Shirley away from the theater and have her stay at their apartment.  Roger informs his friends that he owns a yacht, the Susabella.  He proposes that all of them go on an ocean cruise around the world.  He insists that Shirley needs a rest.  He points out how much Lenora loves adventure and how Beverly wants to travel.  The entire group agrees, and Roger says that they can depart as soon as everything is ready.

Beverly reflects on the future, deciding that whether she can go on the cruise depends upon whether her book is published.